Your upcoming movie Pig Pen - in a few words, what is it
about?
Pig Pen is the story of a thirteen year old
runaway Zack who is tormented by his mother's abusive
boyfriend Wayne, who eventually forces Zack to
live in the streets. Until a murder has the two face to
face in a tale of bloodshed and revenge.
What were your initial inspirations when coming
up with the story for Pig Pen, and what were your collaborations
with your co-writer Clint Kelly and scriptwriter Mark Leake like?
I had been thinking about the idea since the
beginning of Summer. The thought of a young person
alone and facing the dangers of an urban setting
is terrifying to me. I want to play with the suspense of
those situations. The story also deals with his
abusive home life and how it catches up with him. Clint
liked the story and we hammered out the first
draft, then gave it to Mark Leake. He gave us back one of
the best scripts I've read to date. We are lucky
to have him back working on this one. I knew I wanted
Leake on board to write after 7th
Day worked as well as it did. The three of us
are currently producing Pig Pen
together as well
From
what I'm reading, Pig Penmight be quite a bit on the gory side -
so what have you planned regarding that aspect of your movie, and is there
a line you refuse to cross?
The violence will be realistic and gritty and
those details will be a secret. It will be extreme, but story-driven.
I don't go into these type of films with
any real limitations or rules. It might stifle the creative
process and it's possible to never realize some
cool idea. If we feel the story needs push an area or
taboo we will.
What can you tell us about
your film's intended look and feel?
I love the look of Nicolas Refn's films. Steve Rubac is returning to shoot again with John
Grove our
other film collaborator. We took such a static
approach to 7th
Day and only used natural lighting
techniques. We wanted the audience to feel like
they were sitting with Allen. I want Pig Pen
to have a
much more cinematic feel. But still grounded in
the grit and filth of the story.
Do talk about your
projected key cast and crew for a bit, and why exactly these people?
Our lead Lucas Koch, who is my son, will be
playing Zack the 13 yr old runaway. This isn't lazy
casting, the kid is a great natural actor. This
will be Lucas' fourth feature but first lead. He is ready. We
have Vito Trigo as our lead antagonist. I worked
with Vito on Return to Nukem High and Science
Team. There isn't a better actor at our level,
period. He has amazing range that hasn't been fully explored.
Michael Brecher, Josh Davidson and Nicolette Le
Faye are all returning from 7th
Day. They were all
perfect in the roles in 7th
Day and are always dedicated. My whole team seems to
be returning for Pig Pen.
Plus, some new great talents joining us. I am
very fortunate.
As
far as I know, Pig Pen is presently still in its fundraising stages
- so what can you tell us about your fundraising efforts?
We started a campaign like any other film maker.
Because we need the extra money. Our script was
written to be cost effective. Similar to how we
approached 7th
Day. Dire Wit Films reinvested any
return we made from 7th
Day
into two new 4K cameras and gear. My company
Aftermath FX is covering the
effects budget. So we really need extra funds
for the cast and crew. With people donating time we
definitely need to feed them and cover
transportation. So far, the support has been great! It has gotten a
couple small private investors talking as well.
But we still need more help to make this movie happen.
Once
your funds are raised, what's the schedule, and even if it's probably
waaay too early to ask, any idea when and where the film will be released
onto the general public yet?
We will begin filming early September, before the
campaign ends. The main part of filming will be
done mid October 2014. Shot over three weeks. We
intend to self distribute as before but hope to have
the option to push to a larger domestic market.
Any future projects beyond Pig Pen
you'd like to share?
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Clint and I have been pushing a couple bigger
budget projects. That process is way different from what
we are used to doing. It takes time and
persistence. Pig Pen
IS that future project. I'm learning to keep
things under wraps a little more than I have in
the past. So, everyone will have to wait for details...
Your/your movie's website,
Facebook, IndieGoGo, whatever else?
Pig Pen
IndieGoGo:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pig-pen/x/7376882#home
Pig Pen
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pig-Pen/806503509361272?ref=hl
Dire Wit Films:
http://www.direwitfilms.com/
Anything else you
are dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I think we covered it. Thank you so much for
another interview! I can't wait to talk to you about Pig Pen once we finish shooting. Thanks
for the interview!
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